May 11, 2023
The whole is definitely much greater than the sum of its parts. Automation takes the concept of synergy to its highest expression.
An RPA (Robotic Process Automation) project brings numerous benefits to companies: increased productivity, enhanced process accuracy, reduced paper usage and human errors, and significant improvements in customer and employee experiences. However, when automation becomes an integral part of a company’s overall strategy, its multiplicative effect is remarkable. As automation gains momentum and expands throughout the organization, its added value increases.
Humans can focus on what they do best—from solving problems and conducting analysis to designing new products and services to meet or anticipate demand, even entering new markets—while repetitive, tedious, and error-prone tasks cease to be a daily concern.
If It Can Be Automated, It Will Be
The prevailing principle in companies today is that everything that can be automated should be automated. This explains the exponential growth expected in the coming years.
According to Zion Market Research, investments in the hyperautomation market—which refers to the orchestrated combination of RPA, artificial intelligence, and other technologies to enable large-scale automation across an organization—reached $9 billion in 2021 and are projected to nearly triple to $26.5 billion by 2028.
When factoring in all the supporting technologies that make this possible, the number skyrockets to $500 billion, according to Gartner. This same firm, which ranked hyperautomation as one of the top ten technology trends of 2022, defines it as:
“A disciplined, business-driven approach that organizations use to rapidly identify, assess, and automate as many business and IT processes as possible.”
Step by Step
There is no “one-click” button to automate processes at an organizational scale. Achieving this requires a strategic, organization-wide process, involving careful analysis to identify automation opportunities in each area, prioritize them based on business impact, and determine how they integrate into the existing operational landscape.
When deciding which project to start with, many companies choose a simple, high-value initiative. This approach allows them to achieve quick results and leverage that initial success to drive further automation efforts.
Continuous Improvement
Automation at scale is not a one-time project with a clear beginning and end—it is a continuous improvement cycle that constantly presents new opportunities and must adapt to business changes. Another key challenge is identifying whether existing automation solutions can be repurposed in other areas of the organization.
Why Automate at Scale?
The benefits of automation at scale include:
Complete process and cost optimization
Stronger business outcomes—Gartner predicts that by 2024, organizations leading in automation will outperform their competitors by 20% in customer experience metrics
Automation is crucial for increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Scaling automation is key to competitiveness and thriving in today’s complex and ever-changing business landscape.
